Title

Discharges And Releases Into Watercourses From Timber Harvest Operations.

Attorney General No.

SA97RF0050

Secretary of State No.

775

Description

DISCHARGES AND RELEASES INTO WATERCOURSES FROM TIMBER HARVEST OPERATIONS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Restricts discharge or release of timber waste by industrial timber owners or operators unless no impairment of quality of waters is demonstrated. Adds new requirements to obtain permits before commencing operations; conduct inspections; monitor compliance; submit annual reports. Imposes permit fees sufficient to cover administrative and enforcement costs. Limits permits to five-year maximum. Provides judicial review of permits issued by regional boards. Allows administrative and civil enforcement actions by public officers or private persons, with burden on defendants to prove compliance. Authorizes injunctions, fines for violations. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Unknown reduction in state and local revenues, potentially a few million dollars annually, to extent timber harvesting is reduced. Unknown long term impact on state and local revenues due to changes in economic activities. State costs for permit process and other regulatory activities by state and regional water boards, potentially in millions to tens of millions of dollars annually, offset by fees. Unknown impact on costs to other state agencies to implement timber harvest regulations; any costs would be offset by fees. Annual savings of about $13 million to various state funds from filing fee revenues for timber harvest plans.